Metro FM is a national

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

owned by the

South African Broadcasting Corporation The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is the public broadcaster in South Africa, and provides 19 radio stations ( AM/ FM) as well as six television broadcasts to the general public. It is one of the largest of South Africa's state ...

. The station broadcasts on FM Stereo as well as the DStv Bouquet Channel 801.Metro FM Facebook Page (Info)
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History

The station started broadcasting in October, 1986 as Radio Metro to compete with the now defunct Radio Bop. Playing a mix of urban contemporary and bubblegum pop Radio Bop was able to reach black audiences in parts of the

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal. * South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...

by broadcasting on the AM band from the "independent"

bantustan A Bantustan (also known as Bantu homeland, black homeland, black state or simply homeland; ) was a territory that the National Party administration of South Africa set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (now ...

Bophuthatswana Bophuthatswana (, meaning "gathering of the Tswana people"), officially the Republic of Bophuthatswana ( tn, Riphaboliki ya Bophuthatswana; af, Republiek van Bophuthatswana), was a Bantustan (also known as "Homeland"; an area set aside for mem ...

where it was licensed. This prompted the SABC's then white management to launch Radio Metro which was put on air in about six months, from the planning stages. The station launched the careers of a number of radio celebrities including, Bob Mabena, Shado Twala and Lawrence Dube. Over the years the station has had a number of competitors, including in the very competitive Johannesburg radio market where two stations, Kaya FM and YFM, launched in mid/late 1990s have taken away some audience from Metro FM. Metro sponsors the Metro FM Music Awards, the 2016 edition being the 15th. Known as Mabhena FM.

Broadcast time

*24/7

Listenership figures

References

External links

Metro FM Website
Radio stations in South Africa Radio stations established in 1986 1986 establishments in South Africa Radio stations in Johannesburg {{SouthAfrica-radio-station-stub